While KinesioTape has been used by chiropractors, physical therapists and trainers around the world for about 30 years, it really became  well known during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Numerous athletes in every Olympic sport used the tape but it was beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh that really became the poster child for Kinesio Tape.

Traditional athletic tape restricts movement to protect joints. Kinesio Tape on the other hand has similar elastic properties to muscle. Depending on how the tape is applied this elasticity can be used to facilitate or inhibit muscle or joint movement.

The increased recognition of the effectiveness of Kinesio Tape has spawned a number of competing brands. Unfortunately, there is a wide variety  in the quality of these competing products that make some of them almost inappropriate for kinesio taping applications. Some of the kinesio taping products are also available in regular retail outlets. The danger to this is that the tape itself  is not a magic “cure all”. Correct application is crucial for the tape to do its job properly. In some cases an incorrect application could even be detrimental to the injury that is being treated.

I completed all three modules of the Kinesio Taping Certification program during the summer of 2010. In December of that year I completed the certification examination to become the only Certified Kinesio-Taping Practitioner (CKTP) in the Redlands area.

The athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games popularized the use of Kinesio Tape for sports injuries, but it is also useful in cases of whiplash, swelling or edema, muscle weakness, postural issues and more. I have already seen some great results with kinesio tape for some of these injuries on my patients. So far  the people of Redlands seem to prefer the more subtle beige color, rather than the black, pink or blue that was so visible at the olympics. 

The short answer is “yes”.  For many patients the best way to address this problem and heal their pain or injury is through the use of an orthotic.

Orthotics are customized insoles that are placed in an individuals shoe to correct improper alignment or movement of the feet. Faulty bio mechanics of the feet can lead to pain and injury in the  ankles, shins, knees, hips and low back as well as the feet.

Traditionally, custom orthotics were made by casting a plaster mold of the foot or by having the patient step into a block of foam to create an impression of the foot. While these methods have been used for many years they do have a number of drawbacks.  Plaster casting is time consuming, can be very messy and can produce an inaccurate orthotic if the patient moves their foot at all before the plaster cures and hardens. The foam box method is prone to error as well if the patient does not step into the foam completely straight as they make the impression in the foam.

More recently some companies have begun to use static digital scanners to produce their orthotics. Unfortunately, these scanners produced a static image of the foot and do not account for variations present during regular movement of the foot.

The newest technology as found in the Footmaxx Metascan system allows us to take an accurate scan of the foot while walking or even running. The Footmaxx system scans the foot up to 150 times per second. It is this scanning speed that makes  scanning the foot while walking or running possible. The Footmaxx Metascan Dynamic software interprets the dynamic weight bearing scanner data to assess the feet and fabricate a custom orthotic.

We are excited to have the Footmaxx Metascan at Redlands Spine & Sport. The ability to produce these accurate high quality orthotics will be a benefit to many of our current and future patients.  This scanner will provide us with objective data to help determine whether a patient is a candidate for orthotics or whether another treatment modality is more appropriate for them.

While many athletes benefit from orthotics, they are just as important for anyone who spends a great deal of time on their feet, especially on hard surfaces. As part of our introduction of this new service at Redlands Spine & Sport we will be providing this scan free of charge! This is only for a limited time so call to schedule your scan today!